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Longwinter: Visitor's Book
Winters are long and beautiful in the high valleys of Brezim.
Longwinter is the two-book RPG sandbox of a mountainous winter country on the cusp between the old and the new, the edge of modernity, the stepping stone of a new age. New mines and industries are opened, light breaks the gloom of ancient ruins, change comes to sweep away the cobwebs of history. But cobwebs do not go easily into the dust.
This winter will be memorable.
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This book contains common knowledge and mechanics for all the players: heroes and referees. The Referee’s Book contains tools for running Longwinter at the table. The idea behind splitting Longwinter into two books is to make it easier for the players to share the world, while preserving the challenges and random events for the referee alone.
The setting is profoundly close to that of Witchburner (by the same author and artist).
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This gazetteer includes:
~100 pages of content.
over 40 colour illustrations.
a rather pretty map.
rough history from the oldest times to the wars that tumbled the ancient regime and led directly to the current federal arrangement.
powers and major factions, the dominant baronials and the oppressed oldfolk, the terrifying wolffolk and the mysterious old architects.
economy and society, and cultural touchstones in the mountain barony.
three towns and eight villages, characters and curiosities in each.
mountains, forests, rivers, and lakes.
simple modular rules for handling mountainous terrain and the cold weather.
terrain and weather complications.
a buy-and-sell list for would-be visitors.
a vignette to set the mood.
and an appendix of inspirational music.
---///---
Be aware:
This is a full-fledged mini-setting, but the vast part of the random encounters and events are in the referee book.
The content is mostly system-neutral. It references some 5E or d20-style conventions, but should work with most low-power systems easily.
Longwinter is the two-book RPG sandbox of a mountainous winter country on the cusp between the old and the new, the edge of modernity, the stepping stone of a new age. New mines and industries are opened, light breaks the gloom of ancient ruins, change comes to sweep away the cobwebs of history. But cobwebs do not go easily into the dust.
This winter will be memorable.
---///---
This book contains common knowledge and mechanics for all the players: heroes and referees. The Referee’s Book contains tools for running Longwinter at the table. The idea behind splitting Longwinter into two books is to make it easier for the players to share the world, while preserving the challenges and random events for the referee alone.
The setting is profoundly close to that of Witchburner (by the same author and artist).
---///---
This gazetteer includes:
~100 pages of content.
over 40 colour illustrations.
a rather pretty map.
rough history from the oldest times to the wars that tumbled the ancient regime and led directly to the current federal arrangement.
powers and major factions, the dominant baronials and the oppressed oldfolk, the terrifying wolffolk and the mysterious old architects.
economy and society, and cultural touchstones in the mountain barony.
three towns and eight villages, characters and curiosities in each.
mountains, forests, rivers, and lakes.
simple modular rules for handling mountainous terrain and the cold weather.
terrain and weather complications.
a buy-and-sell list for would-be visitors.
a vignette to set the mood.
and an appendix of inspirational music.
---///---
Be aware:
This is a full-fledged mini-setting, but the vast part of the random encounters and events are in the referee book.
The content is mostly system-neutral. It references some 5E or d20-style conventions, but should work with most low-power systems easily.
- GenresRole Playing Games
104 pages, Paperback
First published December 15, 2020
9 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
December 30, 2021
I finally got time to sit down and read through both parts of Luka Rejec's Longwinter setting and I'm glad I did. Split across two pristine perfect bound books, I was almost afraid to handle it because it reminded me of freshly fallen snow that you didn't want to disturb. That snow has bursts of glorious colour, where Luka's pen and ink style illustrations capture the essence of the setting. The first book is the Visitor's Book (104-pages), a gazetteer of the Barony of Brezim, a high valleyed alpine setting. The second book is the Referee's book (114-pages), which provides details of the factions, encounters and the metaplot that the characters will hopefully endure and break free from.
The Longwinter Visitor's Book presents enough to use the setting for a campaign; written in the style of an in-game guidebook, it describes the history, notable personages, factions, towns and geographical features such as the mountains, forests and rivers. Although quite short, these layer together nicely to provide plenty of hooks and opportunities for adventures. The setting feels early modern (with technology close to the 1920s/1930s albeit done in such a way that it is magical). It would suit a low powered D&D game (although there are certain types of character and ability that would ruin this) but part of me found myself realising that this would work with most low-heroic systems. Traveller sprung to mind, but there are hints for Luka's SEACAT and 5e included. The setting includes guns, so definitely isn't vanilla D&D.
The later part of the book provides core rules for travel, survival and encounters. Guidance on encumbrance, dealing with cold and some sample equipment is provided. The book wraps with a short story that illustrates the setting.
Finishing the book, I imagined shenanigans not unlike those in Helvéczia, with the characters being drawn into machinations between factions such as the Oldsettlers, Baronials and Wolffolk. The book describes it as a cosy roleplaying setting of high mountains and deep problems. A land of beauty in the summer and cold and snow in the winter. If you don't read the second book, that's the natural thing to be thinking. Except for the ill-omens.
The Longwinter Visitor's Book presents enough to use the setting for a campaign; written in the style of an in-game guidebook, it describes the history, notable personages, factions, towns and geographical features such as the mountains, forests and rivers. Although quite short, these layer together nicely to provide plenty of hooks and opportunities for adventures. The setting feels early modern (with technology close to the 1920s/1930s albeit done in such a way that it is magical). It would suit a low powered D&D game (although there are certain types of character and ability that would ruin this) but part of me found myself realising that this would work with most low-heroic systems. Traveller sprung to mind, but there are hints for Luka's SEACAT and 5e included. The setting includes guns, so definitely isn't vanilla D&D.
The later part of the book provides core rules for travel, survival and encounters. Guidance on encumbrance, dealing with cold and some sample equipment is provided. The book wraps with a short story that illustrates the setting.
Finishing the book, I imagined shenanigans not unlike those in Helvéczia, with the characters being drawn into machinations between factions such as the Oldsettlers, Baronials and Wolffolk. The book describes it as a cosy roleplaying setting of high mountains and deep problems. A land of beauty in the summer and cold and snow in the winter. If you don't read the second book, that's the natural thing to be thinking. Except for the ill-omens.
January 1, 2024
An absolutely wonderful sourcebook, essentially The Adventures of Tintin at the Mountains of Madness. Ran a fantastic 13-session game using this, so it definitely has legs for a decent campaign.
I'm a big fan of the idea that this is to be shared between the GM and Players as the public-facing guide to the Valley as it creates a shared understanding of the geography and social structures while leaving enough info either out or inaccurate to have some surprises in store.
I'm a big fan of the idea that this is to be shared between the GM and Players as the public-facing guide to the Valley as it creates a shared understanding of the geography and social structures while leaving enough info either out or inaccurate to have some surprises in store.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews